I'm a big fan of portable, sturdy tripods, and I have a decent collection of three-legged critters that I use regularly. During the holidays, I received a new addition to my stable, my first Gorillapod -- the original model. And I'm having a blast with it.
The original model, which is also the smallest, is perfect for my Canon PowerShot SD 700IS. It's a 150mm tall (6") and only weighs 45g (1.6 oz). Yet this little creature can steady your camera (up to 275 grams - 9.7 oz). in just about location -- from table top to tree limb. The legs are constructed of 10 flexible joints that enable you to quickly position your camera in just seconds. You even get a nifty quick-release head so you don't have to screw and unscrew every time you want to mount the camera.
You can purchase the original Gorillapod for $21.95, and the larger sizes for DSLRs for $40 and $50 each. The Joby site has a fun photo gallery of Gorillapods in action. In fact, there's even a flickr gallery called Gorillapod Love dedicated to these little beasties. Good pictures and good fun.
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I got the original Gorillapod almost a year ago for my Powershot A80. At the time it was the only model they offered.
In theory, the A80 is under the official weight limit... In practice it's not very steady.
I've found that the Gorillapod is still good for setting up the camera on a variety of non-flat surfaces, but it is not useful for long exposures, and I'd be scared to use it at all in a strong breeze.
If I had a smaller camera (like the SD 700) or the newer (sturdier) Gorillapod-SLR it would probably get used quite a bit... As of now it mostly sits in the bag and I just use my UltraPod II.
I'm a big fan of the Ultrapod II, and have discussed it many times on this site. It's a great tripod. But I must say that my experiences with the Gorillapod have been better than yours. I've captured both movies and long exposures with great ease and of good quality with my Canon SD 700. I like this little creature quite a bit.
yeah I love mine
it's the neatest thing I've seen
well worth the money!